South Jersey Cops Arrested, Charged with Theft from PBA

Police officers normally make arrests for theft. Some, unfortunately, get arrested for theft. Steven Buglio and William Newman belong to the latter category. Buglio and Newman, members of the Vineland, New Jersey police force, were charged on February 17 with mishandling an unspecified sum of funds from the union they helped run, Policemen's Benevolent Association (PBA) Local 266. The pair had turned themselves into police headquarters that day; each was charged with four third-degree offenses. They also were removed from their union positions by the state PBA chapter and suspended without pay from their daily police officer jobs. No further action has been reported in the more than three months since.

Steven Buglio, 36, a resident of Vineland in southern New Jersey, had served as president of Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 266, which represents cops in Vineland and nearby Buena. Newman, 30, a resident of Elmer, N.J., served as union treasurer. According to the office of Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, the pair "failed to make the proper disposition" of local funds and used the money "as if it was (their) own." Authorities wouldn't comment on how much money the defendants had taken. Vineland Police Chief Timothy Codispoti reported the thefts to the prosecutor's office, which then launched an investigation. Buglio and Newman each were charged with one count of: 1) theft by failure to make a required disposition of property received; 2) misapplication of entrusted property; 3) conspiracy to commit theft; and 4) conspiracy to commit misapplication of entrusted property. Greg Pacitto, the local union vice president, since has replaced Buglio as president.